Semi Dymos
}} The Semi Dymos (セミダイモス) is a Japanese 4.5×6 folder, sold by Seibidō Advertisements reproduced in , p.78. between 1935 and 1937. The manufacturer is not known for sure, though at least one recent source says that the camera was made by Mori. Tanaka, p.132 of Nigan-refu no hanashi (zenpen). (The latter company was perhaps also involved in the production of the Light shutter sometimes mounted on the camera.) The Hansa Semi Rollette and the original Semi Rosen are certainly name variants of the Semi Dymos (see the discussion in the corresponding pages). General description The Semi Dymos is an Ikonta copy, with the typical Ikonta struts. There is a folding optical finder in the middle of the top plate. Its front part folds above the back one and it is perhaps of the Newton type. The folding bed release is on the right of the viewfinder and the film advance key is at the bottom right — as seen by the photographer holding the camera horizontally. The back is hinged to the left and the back latch is covered by a leather handle. The brand name Dymos is embossed in the front leather in cursive style: the "D" is very large and contains the rest of the letters. The Semi Dymos A to F The original Semi Dymos, released in 1935, has no body release and has two red windows in the back, protected by a cover that is retracted by turning a thumbwheel. The word PAT is sometimes engraved on the metal casing surrounding the red windows, Example observed in an online auction. certainly indicating that the mechanism was patented. The exact same mechanism is found on the Reex, which was perhaps related. Only one surviving example of the original Semi Dymos has been observed so far. Example observed in an online auction. The camera appears as a new model in an advertisement in June 1935. , p.337. The following versions are listed in a January 1936 advertisement: Advertisement in January 1936, reproduced in , p.78. * Model A (Ａ號): Radionar f/6.3 lens, Rulex shutter ( ); * Model B (Ｂ號): Radionar f/4.5 lens, Light shutter ( ); * Model C (Ｃ號): Lausar f/4.5 lens, Light shutter ( ). Some advertisements may have shown the following range instead: * Model A: Radionar f/6.3, Rulex; * Model B: Dymos f/4.5, Light; * Model C: Radionar f/4.5, Light; * Model D: Lausar f/4.5, Light. In mid-1936, the A, B, C, D models were replaced by the models E and F. In advertisements dated May and December 1936, they are described as follows: Advertisement in Camera Art May 1936, reproduced in Nostalgic Camera by Toshio Inamura; advertisement in December 1936, reproduced in , p.78. * Model E (Ｅ號): Radionar f/4.5 lens, 5–250 speeds ( — case ¥5 extra); * Model F (Ｆ號): Lausar f/4.5 lens, 5–250 speeds ( ). The shutter name is not given, but it is probably the Light B mentioned in a later document (see below). The Semi Dymos II The Semi Dymos II appeared at the beginning of 1937. It has a special device for advance control, called "talkie numbers" (トーキーナンバー) in the advertisements, which emphasize its convenience to take pictures in a dark place. The device is exactly the same as on the original Semi Rosen sold by Ōsawa Shōkai at the same time, which was certainly a name variant (see the picture in the page on the Semi Rosen). It consists of a manual exposure counter contained under a square casing at the bottom left of the back. The frame number is displayed in a small round window, and the device makes a sound each time the next exposure is attained. There is a small lever next to the round window, perhaps used to reset the counter, and a triangular logo on the leather covering. There is still a red window at the extreme left of the back, protected by a vertically sliding cover, used to set the position of the first exposure. The Semi Dymos II first appeared in advertisements dated March 1937. The May 1937 advertisement in says that the model 1 (1號型) was still available, and lists the following two versions of the Semi Dymos II: Advertisement in , reproduced in , p.78. * Model EII (ＥⅡ號型): Radionar f/4.5 lens, 5–250 speeds ( — case ¥4.50 extra); * Model FII (ＦⅡ號型): Lausar f/4.5 lens, 5–250 speeds ( ). No surviving example has been observed so far. The Semi Dymos FV The Semi Dymos FV, released at the end of 1937, is similar to the FII with a body release added to the left of the viewfinder. The camera appears in an advertisement in October 1937, where it is offered for (case ¥5 extra). Advertisement in , reproduced in , p.78. The document mentions the "talkie numbers", and lists the camera with a Lausar f/4.5 lens and 5–250 speeds. The shutter is certainly the same that was used on the models E and F, and was not originally designed for a body release. In the picture, it is rotated to the left by more than 90 degrees, in order to connect the release lever with the body release linkage. As a consequence, the aperture scale and Light marking appear to the right, whereas they were at the bottom on previous models. The Semi Dymos FV is also featured in the new products column of the November 1937 issue of , and the last advertisement reported so far is dated January 1938. , p.337. The undated leaflet reproduced in this page shows a model simply called "Semi Dymos". Undated leaflet for the Victory, Semi Dymos, Reex, Baby Ref, Union Ref and Baby Chrome, published by an unknown company. It looks exactly like the FV but the document does not mention the talkie numbers. The lens is described as a Rosen (ローゼン) Anastigmat 75mm f/4.5 and the shutter as a Light B (T, B, 5–250). The shutter looks the same as on the FV. Notes Bibliography * Anonymous company. Leaflet for the Victory, Semi Dymos, Reex, Baby Ref, Union Ref and Baby Chrome. Date not indicated. Document reproduced in this Flickr album by Rebollo_fr. * Items 138–9. * Inoue, Mitsuo (井上光朗). "Shashin renzu no yoake. Renzu-ya Funsenki" (写真レンズの夜明け・レンズ屋奮戦記, Dawn of the photographic lens — Fierce war tales between lens shops). Pp.128–132. (The Lausar lens and Light shutter pictured on p.130 probably belong to a Semi Dymos.) * Tanaka Masao (田中政雄). Nigan-refu no hanashi (zenpen) (二眼レフのはなし前編, TLR stories part). Gendai Kamera Shinsho (現代カメラ新書) no.68. Tokyo: Asahi Sonorama, 1980. No ISBN number. P.132. (Attributes the Semi Dymos to Mori.) The Semi Dymos is not listed in . Links In Japanese: * Advertisement for the Semi Dymos and Venus, published in the May 1936 issue of Camera Art, reproduced in Nostalgic Camera by Toshio Inamura. Dymos, Semi Category: S Dymos, Semi Category: 1935